(a) When Taken. At any time after the defendant has appeared, any party may take
testimony of any person by deposition including audio-visual depositions taken as provided
in N.D.R.Civ.P. 30.1, except:

(1) Thethe defendant may not be deposed unless the defendant
consents and the
defendant's lawyer, if the defendant has one, is present or the defendant waives the lawyer's
presence;

(2) Aa discovery deposition may be taken after the time set by
the court only with leave
of court;

(3) Aa deposition to perpetuate testimony may be taken only
with leave of court, which
shallmust be granted upon motion of any party if it appears that the
deponent may be able
to give material testimony but may be unable to attend a trial or hearing; and

(4) Uponupon motion of a party or of the deponent and upon a
showing that the taking of
the deposition does or will unreasonably annoy, embarrass, or oppress, or cause undue
burden or expense to, the deponent or a party, the court in which the prosecution is pending
or a court of the jurisdiction where the deposition is being taken may order that the
deposition not be taken or continued or may limit the scope and manner of its taking. Upon
demand of the objecting party or deponent, the taking of the deposition may be suspended
for the time necessary to make the motion.

Attendance of witnesses and production of documentary evidence and objects may be
compelled by subpoena under N.D.R.Crim.P.Rule 17.

(b) Witness Who Would Not Respond To Subpoena. If a party is granted leave to take a
deposition to perpetuate testimony, the court, upon motion of the party and a showing of
probable cause to believe that the deponent would not respond to a subpoena, by order
shallmust direct a law enforcement officer to take the deponent into custody and hold the
deponent until the taking of the deposition commences but not to exceed six hours and to
keep the deponent in custody during the taking of the deposition. If the motion is by the
prosecuting attorney, the court, upon further motion by the prosecuting attorney and a
showing of probable cause to believe that the defendant would not otherwise
attend the
taking of the deposition, may make the same order as tofor the
defendant.

(c) Notice Of Taking. The party at whose instance the deposition is to be taken shall give
all parties reasonable written notice of the name and address of each person to be examined,
the time and place for the deposition, and the manner of recording. Upon motion of a party
or of the deponent, the court may change the time, place, or manner of record.

(d) How Taken. The deposition shallmust be taken in the manner
provided in civil actions,
except:

(1) Ifif the deposition is taken at a place over which this state
lacks jurisdiction, it may be
taken instead in the manner provided by the law of that place;

(2) Ititshallmust be recorded by the
means specified in the notice; and

(3) Uponupon motion of a party and a showing that a party or
the deponent is engaging in
serious misconduct at the taking of a deposition, the court by order may direct that the
deposition's taking be continued in the presence of a designated officer, in which case the
designated officer may preside over the remainder of the deposition's taking.

(e) Place Of Taking. The deposition shallmust be taken in a
building where the trial may
be held, at a place agreed upon by the parties, or at a place designated by special or general
order of the court. If the defendant is in custody or subject to terms of release
whichthat
prohibit leaving the state and does not appear before the court and understandingly and
voluntarily waives the right to be present, a deposition to perpetuate testimony
shallmust not
be taken at a place which requires transporting the defendant within a jurisdiction
whichthat
does not confer upon law enforcement officers of this state the right to transport prisoners
within it.

(f) Presence Of Defendant.

(1) At Discovery Deposition. The defendant may be present at the taking of a discovery
deposition, but if the defendant is in custody, the defendant may be present only with
leave
of court.

(2) At Deposition To Perpetuate Testimony. The defendant must be present at the taking
of a deposition to perpetuate testimony, but if the defendant's counsel is present at the
taking:

(iA) Thethe court may excuse the
defendant from being present if the defendant appears
before the court and understandingly and voluntarily waives the right to be present;

(iiB) Thethe taking of the deposition
may continue if the defendant, present when it
commenced, thereafter leaves voluntarily; or

(iiiC) Ifif the deposition's taking is
presided over by a judicial officer, the judicial officer
may direct that the deposition's taking or part thereofof the deposition's
taking be conducted
in the defendant's absence if the judicial officer has justifiably excluded the defendant
because of the defendant's disruptive conduct.

(3) Unexcused Absence. If the defendant is not present at the commencement of the taking
of a deposition to perpetuate testimony and the defendant's absence has not been excused:

(iA) Itsits taking may proceed, in
which case the deposition may be used only as a
discovery deposition; or

(iiB) Ifif the deposition is taken at the
instance of the prosecution, the prosecuting attorney
may direct that the commencement of its taking be postponed until the defendant's
attendance can be obtained, and the court, upon application of the prosecuting attorney, by
order may direct a law enforcement officer to take the defendant into custody during the
taking of the deposition.

(g) Payment Of Expenses. If the deposition is taken at the instance of the prosecution, the
court may, and in all cases where the defendant is unable to bear the expense the court
shallmust, direct the state to pay the expense of taking the deposition, including the
reasonable
expenses of travel and subsistence of defense counsel and, if the deposition is to perpetuate
testimony or if the court permits as tofor a discovery deposition, of
the defendant in
attending the deposition.

(h) Substantive Use On Grounds Of Unavailability. So far as otherwise admissible under
the rules of evidence, a deposition to perpetuate testimony may be used as substantive
evidence at the trial or upon any hearing if the deponent is unavailable as defined in
N.R.Evid.N.D.R.Ev. 804(a). A discovery deposition may then be so
used if the court
determines that the use is fair in light of the nature and extent of the total examination at the
taking thereof, but it may be offered by the prosecution only if the defendant was present at
its taking. If only a part of a deposition is offered in evidence by a party, an adverse party
may require the offering of all of it that is relevant to the part offered.

(i) Objections To Admissibility. Objections to receiving in evidence a deposition or part
thereofof a deposition may be made as provided in civil actions.

(j) Deposition By Agreement Not Precluded. Nothing in this rule precludes the taking of
a deposition, orally or upon written questions, or the use of a deposition, by agreement of
the parties.

Rule 15 is substantially the same as Rule 431, Uniform Rules of Criminal
Procedure
(1974). Former Rule 15, effective until January 1, 1980, was an adaptation of Fed.R.Crim.P.
15. The present rule provides for a greatly expanded use of depositions in criminal cases.
Subdivisions (a), (b), (f) and (h) were amended, effective March 1, 1990. The amendments
are technical in nature and no substantive change is intended.

Rule 15 was amended, effective March 1, 2006, in response to the December 1, 2002,
revision of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. The language and organization of the
rule were changed to make the rule more easily understood and to make style and
terminology consistent throughout the rules.

Subdivision (a) permits depositions to be taken to perpetuate testimony, as in the former
rule, but also for discovery purposes, which was not previously provided for. Rather than
requiring court approval of discovery depositions, this subdivision changes the emphasis by
allowing them without court approval, subject to the right of a party or deponent to move
under paragraph (4) to have a court order that the deposition be continued, not taken, or
limited in scope or manner of taking. The court will set a time after which discovery
depositions may not be taken without court permission. Leave of court is required for the
taking of a deposition to perpetuate testimony.

Subdivision (a) was amended, effective March 1, 1990. The amendment was made
in order
to clarify the fact that audio-visual depositions may be taken under the rule. The amendment
also provides that the method of taking audio-visual depositions is governed by
N.D.R.Civ.P. 30.1.

Subdivision (b) provides a method for securing the attendance of a depondent who would
not respond to a subpoena. In addition, to ensure confrontation and the presence of the
defendant required by subdivision (f)(2) to use the deposition at trial, the prosecuting
attorney may move the court for an order to secure defendant's presence at the taking of a
deposition.

Requirements for notice of the taking of a deposition are set forth in subdivision (c). The
court may change the noticed time, place, or manner of recording upon motion of the
deponent, as well as any party.

Subdivision (d) specifies that a deposition be taken in the same manner as in civil actions,
with certain exceptions. Paragraph (1) covers depositions on enclaves over which the State
of North Dakota lacks jurisdiction, such as Indian reservations, as well as depositions outside
the physical boundaries of the state. Paragraph (2) allows depositions to be recorded by other
than stenographic means, without a court order. Provision is made in paragraph (3) for a
court to designate an official to preside over a deposition upon a showing of misconduct by
a party or the deponent.

The place of taking a deposition is governed by subdivision (e). Restriction is placed on
taking depositions outside of this state in situations where the defendant may not travel or
be transported to the proposed location, unless the defendant waives the right to be present.

Subdivision (f) concerns the presence of the defendant at a deposition. Distinction is made
between a discovery deposition and one to perpetuate testimony. The defendant is not
required to be present at a discovery deposition, but the defendant's presence may enable the
prosecution to use the deposition as substantive evidence at trial, as provided in subdivision
(h). The taking of a deposition to perpetuate testimony necessitates the defendant's presence,
with three exceptions: defendant is excused by the court upon an appearance and voluntary
waiver of the right to be present; defendant is voluntarily absent after start of deposition; or
if a judicial officer presiding over the deposition justifiably excludes the defendant because
of the defendant's disruptive conduct. No warning is expressly required before exclusion,
as in N.D.R.Crim.P.Rule 43(b)(2). If the defendant is not present at a
deposition to
perpetuate testimony under one of the above exceptions, the defendant's counsel must be.

Paragraph (3) of subdivision (f) covers the situation when the defendant is not present at
the start of a deposition to perpetuate testimony and has not been excused under paragraph
(2). The taking may proceed as a discovery deposition or the prosecuting attorney, if the
prosecuting attorney is taking the deposition, may postpone the taking and secure a court
order to take the defendant into custody to assure the defendant's presence, so that the
deposition will have the greater admissibility of a perpetuation deposition.